By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

“I tell our students who travel to these areas: ‘Do not put a drop of local water in your mouth.’”

John Sellick, associate professor

School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Global travel tips

Nothing ruins a summer vacation faster than getting sick.

“Remember that most diseases are transmitted by food,
water and insects,” says John A. Sellick Jr., UB associate
professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Veterans
Affairs Western New York Healthcare System. “So get
vaccinated, keep insects off you as much as possible and be careful
with what you put in your mouth.”

Sellick is a member of the Infectious Diseases Division of the
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He also is staff
physician at the UB Student Health Services, where he counsels UB
students on staying healthy while traveling, whether they are
studying or volunteering abroad, or are international students
going home for a visit.

“Many providers will tell you that most international
travel is no big deal and requires no special precautions,”
says Sellick, “but I always have some students who come back
to UB with infections after traveling abroad. Most are not
life-threatening, but why take the chance?”

Most physicians in the U.S. have no reason to stock vaccines
that will rarely be used, he notes. That’s why he recommends
that people contemplating international travel contact a travel
clinic. The clinics specialize in providing appropriate
immunizations and counseling about precautions and risks in
specific regions of the world.

“If you’re staying in a five-star hotel downtown,
the risks may be lower but they still exist,” he says.
“The risks go up considerably if you’re traveling to a
remote region or hiking in the rainforest. People who hike the Inca
Trail in Peru will be about 10,000 feet above sea level. At those
altitudes, they don’t have to worry about malaria but they do
need to take precautions against acute mountain sickness, which can
strike if the ascent is taken too quickly.”

While pre-travel medications may be prescribed to prevent
malaria, there are no vaccinations or medications available to
prevent other insect-borne illnesses, such as dengue and
chikungunya fever, which are widely distributed in tropical areas.
To prevent these illnesses, Sellick advises travelers to use insect
repellant containing DEET (35-50 percent) and to cover their skin
as much as possible. It also may be advisable to treat clothing
with permethrin, an insect repellant, or to purchase clothing that
has been pre-treated with it. If sleeping quarters are not
screened-in, he says that a bed net treated with permethrin should
be used.

Even those traveling to major tourist destinations in the
Caribbean and Latin America, locations where many UB students
volunteer, should check with a travel clinic, he says.

“Outside of the U.S., Canada, western Europe, Japan,
Australia and New Zealand, hepatitis A and typhoid fever are
present in much of the world,” Sellick adds. Both are
typically spread by contaminated food and water.

“If students are going to Hispaniola (Haiti and the
Dominican Republic) or Mexico, I make sure they are vaccinated
against hepatitis A and typhoid fever, as recommended by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” he says. Malaria
also is present in most of Hispaniola and some areas in Mexico.

“I tell our students who travel to these areas:
‘Do not put a drop of local water in your
mouth,’” he says.

Along with hepatitis A virus and typhoid bacteria, many other
infectious agents are transmitted by water.

“Consume only boiled, bottled (major brand) or carbonated
beverages,” Sellick says. Freezing does not kill
infectious agents so do not drink anything with ice.

“In most cases, you won’t die from typhoid
fever but it can cause severe illness,” he says. “The
best thing to do is get vaccinated. That’s especially
important if you are taking immunosuppressing drugs, such as
steroids, or medications for rheumatoid arthritis because in those
cases typhoid fever could be lethal.”

He sums it up: “Go on your vacation. Have a great time.
Don’t come back sick.”

A physician with UBMD, Sellick recently was honored with the
Laureate Award for the New York chapter of the American College of
Physicians.